2023-07-24 06:48:47
SEATTLE — Pinch-hitter Santiago Espinal drove in the tiebreaking run with a single in the seventh and closer Jordan Romano escaped a jam in the ninth as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Seattle put runners on second and third with one out in the ninth, but Romano struck out Julio Rodriguez on a 2-2 count with a slider and retired Eugenio Suarez with a fly out for 27 saves.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Brandon Belt each homered for the second straight game, helping the Blue Jays rebound following blowing late leads in one-run losses Friday and Saturday.
It was another close match between these teams. Ten of their last 11 meetings have been decided by one run or extra innings, including all six games this season.
Toronto’s Whit Merrifield led off the seventh with a walk, advanced to second on Daulton Varsho’s sacrifice bunt and scored the go-ahead hit on Espinal’s single off reliever Tayler Saucedo.
Guerrero tied it at 2-2 in the fourth, with a two-run drive that landed just over the right wall with his 17th home run. It was his fourth home run in nine games since he won the Home Run Derby in Seattle in the All-Star Game.
For the Blue Jays, the Dominicans Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 4-1, with a run scored and two RBIs; Santiago Espinal 1-1, with an RBI.
For the Mariners, the Dominicans Julio Rodríguez 5-1; Teoscar Hernandez 4-0. The Venezuelan Eugenio Suárez of 3-0.
1690186375
#Toronto #takes #honor #Seattle #Vlad #Belt
